Non-native English speakers sometimes find it difficult to differentiate between the pronunciation of “teen” numbers (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) and “ten” numbers (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90). This can be confusing for both speakers and listeners.
Because these numbers sound similar, native English speakers use stress to differentiate them. Listen to the following sentences and see if you can figure out where the stress is.
Niles is 13 years old
I gained fifteen pounds my freshman year.
Their score was 18 at the end of the game
I rode my bike 60 miles yesterday.
My ninety-year-old grandmother goes dancing every weekend.
The weather forecast calls for a low temperature of 40.
Xue moved to the United States when she was fourteen.
Gabriel will graduate in 2019.
Suji is getting married on May 16th.
Listen to the following sentences and click on the box indicating whether you hear a “teen” number or a “ten” number. Then click on the link below to see the sentences and read each one out loud.
Practice 1
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Click for the answerYour total comes to $7.17.
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Click for the answerMariko invited 50 people to her birthday party.
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Click for the answerLast night, Roberto wrote 40 pages of his novel.
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Click for the answerDerek’s paper had 16 citations.
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Click for the answerThe art museum purchased 30 paintings last year.
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Click for the answerDid you take the stairs or ride the elevator up 13 flights?
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Click for the answerMany Americans get their driver’s license when they turn 16.
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Click for the answerJulie and her husband have been married for 19 years.
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Click for the answerThere were eighteen seconds left on the countdown clock as I crossed the street
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Click for the answerI spent eighty dollars on my new textbook.
Practice 2
Listen to these sentences and repeat them; then, create your own sentences using important locations for you.
Nicole’s Fondue Shop is located at 19 West 15th Street.
Alex’s Cat Cafe can be found at 60 East 90th Street.
Carolyn’s Coffee Shop is at 14th Avenue and 40th St.
What do you do now?
You can practice saying your and your friends’ phone numbers and addresses, and practice verbally explaining quantitative problems or analyses.